


On Lateness

by potentiality_26



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Background Eggsy/Harry, F/F, Fluff, Implied Teacher/Student Relationship, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 02:37:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9946484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potentiality_26/pseuds/potentiality_26
Summary: Gazelle blinked at her.  “You remember me?”  She sounded surprised, in that I-try-very-hard-not-to-take-anything-too-seriously way Roxy remembered her having.Of course she remembered.  Gazelle always sat at the back of the classroom, the seat beside her always empty, and she would prop her legs up on it and survey the room through the curtain of her hair in a listless fashion that did little to disguise how smart she was and how much she really did care about getting an education.  Her legs were bright and knife sharp, like her smile and her eyes and her tongue- when Roxy coaxed her into speaking during class, that was.  Gazelle was very hard to forget indeed.An unexpected encounter on campus.





	

**Author's Note:**

> An unusual pair for me but I like to branch out from time to time. This is based on an American (and also outdated) university experience and I'm afraid I don't know a whole lot about TAs (only one of my profs ever had one), so apologies in advance for any mistakes there. 
> 
> Not Brit-picked.

Roxy Morton was in a terrible hurry. 

She wasn’t used to hurrying.  There are people in this world who run habitually late, people who occasionally run late, and people who have every aspect of their existence so rigorously scheduled that they couldn’t run late if their lives depended on it.  Roxy was in the latter category- which was exactly how she liked it.

Today, though- through factors entirely beyond her control- Roxy had a paper to hand in to a professor that was already a day late, and if she didn’t get it into his box by noon today her grade was in serious danger.  Well- her grade was in serious danger of being less than perfect, but if Roxy wasn't used to being late she was even less used to being less than perfect.  She didn’t intend to become so now, even if it was a minute after noon already. 

So there she was, dashing across campus in a frazzled state she was utterly unfamiliar with, when she stumbled into another unfamiliar state: she collided with someone.

“Sorry,” she said without looking up.  She was too busy checking that her paper wasn’t crushed at all.  Normally she respected an instructor who preferred not to change with the times and have papers submitted electronically; today she hated it. 

“It’s fine,” an amused voice returned.

Roxy did finally look up, and when she looked up she... stopped.  “Gazelle?”

Gazelle blinked at her.  “You remember me?”  She sounded surprised, in that I-try-very-hard-not-to-take-anything-too-seriously way Roxy remembered her having.

Of course she remembered.  Gazelle always sat at the back of the classroom, the seat beside her always empty, and she would prop her legs up on it and survey the room through the curtain of her hair in a listless fashion that did little to disguise how smart she was and how much she really did care about getting an education.  Her legs were bright and knife sharp, like her smile and her eyes and her tongue- when Roxy coaxed her into speaking during class, that was.  Gazelle was very hard to forget indeed.

Fortunately, none of this came out of Roxy’s mouth.  Less fortunately, that was because she was too busy gaping like a fish. 

While Roxy was doing that, Gazelle did something that was- in all of Roxy’s admittedly limited experience of her- unprecedented.  She added something to what she’d already said- a rare indication of nerves, of… investment.  “You know how it is, everyone thinks they’re so special, but they’re just one of dozens to the teacher- plenty more where they came from.”

_Not you_ , Roxy didn’t say.  “I was hardly the teacher,” she said instead.

“TA, then,” Gazelle said.  Her eyes glittered with an amusement that she offered Roxy to share in, since Roxy had been the TA, yes- and she had taught almost all the classes in the term.  “So are you actually late for something?  _You_?”       

“Unbelievable, isn’t it?” Roxy said wryly.  She knew that she had to get moving, but the single-minded drive she had felt a moment before was gone, replaced by... Had Gazelle always smelled this good?  Had she always focused on Roxy with this much energy?  For a second, the world around the two of them- the sounds of other students walking along the path and chatting together as gravel crunched beneath their feet, the smell of the grass, and the warmth of the day- came back to Roxy, and she was astonished at completely it had vanished before.

Gazelle nodded, hesitated for a millisecond, and then- “Can I walk with you?”  

“Uh.”  Roxy swallowed.  “I’d like that.”

Looking pleased, Gazelle stuck out a hand and they righted each other and collected up Roxy’s paper.  “Lead the way,” Gazelle said. 

Roxy did, walking quickly as Gazelle fell in gracefully at her side.  “How’ve you been?” she asked.  It was hard to believe that it had only been a term since they last saw each other.  Seeing Gazelle every day, hearing her sarcastic remarks and noticing the way her eyes lit up when something that actually interested her happened, had been so refreshing that the days seemed to pass slower after she was gone. 

“Pretty good,” Gazelle replied, her voice a soft hum.  Neither of them were very good at making small talk, Roxy remembered that.  “And you?”

“I’m- I’m fine.”  Roxy couldn’t decide if she was glad that they didn’t have far to go or not.  After all, she did have her paper to turn in and a conversation was so quick to turn awkward when two people who just didn’t know each other very well were thrown together- but chances were good that Roxy wouldn’t see Gazelle again after this.  She didn’t want to throw the opportunity away just because things were a little uncomfortable.  “What have you been up to?”

“Classes- you know, the usual.  I just got out of ballet.”  Gazelle sounded a touch defensive, like she thought Roxy would consider it odd that she was a dancer.  Frankly, Roxy thought it was perfect- though she could hardly picture Gazelle in a pink tutu.  A black leotard then, all smooth clean lines.  That would suit her.

“And you like it?”

Gazelle certainly looked happy, in her way, when she said, “Yeah.”

“Good.”  Roxy abruptly ran out of things to say again as they entered the building where her professor’s office was.  Valentine wasn’t inside, but she could see the stack of essays on his desk.  Roxy figured that if her own was in that pile she’d be in the clear, but how to get it there was another question.  She voiced these thoughts to Gazelle.

“Contrary to appearances,” Gazelle said, “breaking and entering isn’t really my thing.”  She paused.  “Then again...”  She tried the doorknob and the door opened.  “Well.” 

Breaking and entering- even without the breaking- was by no means Roxy’s 'thing' either.  She hesitated.      

“I’ll keep watch,” Gazelle said, looking like she was enjoying herself.  “You just hurry, okay?  And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do while you’re in there.”

“I think I’ll settle for not doing anything _I_ wouldn’t do,” Roxy said delicately.

“Fair enough.”  Gazelle gave a wolfish grin and turned the corner. 

Roxy took a deep breath and walked into Professor Valentine’s office, carefully slipping her paper into the middle of the stack and creeping back out again as fast as she could.  In the hallway- which was largely empty since most of the students were either in class or outside enjoying the sunshine- Roxy could hear voices.  She turned a corner and found Gazelle in the middle of a very nonchalant conversation with Professor Valentine. 

She caught Roxy’s eye and winked.  “I should let you go,” she said to Valentine.

He nodded.  “See you in my office hours?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” she replied, and fell into step with Roxy, who nodded to the professor but pretended to be in a hurry to get somewhere else.

“What was that about?” she asked.

“Distraction,” Gazelle said.  “I’m in his class and I told him I was thinking about getting a minor in the field.”

Roxy glanced at her sharply.

Gazelle put up her hands innocently.  “Hey now, I wasn’t lying.  I really am, actually.  I’ve been really liking his class and I think I’m good at the computer stuff.  It’s a way more solid career plan than dancing, anyway- it just seems... smart."

Roxy felt better.  “That makes sense,” she admitted.  “But you should still follow your dreams.”  Gazelle would be such a beautiful dancer.

Gazelle pulled a face.  “Not a lot of money in that, most of the time.”

“Maybe not,” Roxy admitted as they spilled out into the sunshine. 

Gazelle looked out across an expanse of freshly cut grass, her eyes darting over her surroundings like she was checking for danger everywhere. 

Roxy had noticed that she tended to do that. It was one of so many things about Gazelle that made Roxy curious to know her better.  Roxy hesitated.  She didn’t want to part ways with Gazelle just yet, but she wasn’t entirely sure what to say to her.  Well, she knew what she _wanted_ to say, but she wasn't sure it would be a good idea.  Maybe- assuming that Gazelle had ever been interested or ever would have been, which Roxy really couldn't- they had just... missed each other.  Maybe it had been too early while they knew each other.  Maybe now it was too late. 

“Would you look at that,” Gazelle said before Roxy could make up her mind.

She followed Gazelle’s gaze and saw Professor Hart on the steps of another building, talking to Eggsy Unwin.  While she watched, they shared a quick but clearly romantic kiss.  “Oh,” Roxy said.  “That’s Harry’s fiancée.”

Gazelle whistled.  “No wonder he never teaches his class.”

Roxy laughed.  Gazelle wasn’t wrong.  Back before Harry Hart met Eggsy, he had been more or less married to his work.  Roxy had been the one in his class back then, and Eggsy had been her best friend.  He still was, of course, but Eggsy had a job now and they didn’t see as much of each other as they had back when they were both taking Harry’s course and Eggsy had had a giant crush on the teacher.  Eggsy had been convinced that Harry couldn’t possibly feel the same way he did, but of course Harry did- and as soon as Eggsy left school there had been nothing stopping them.  They were both her friends at this point and Roxy was happy for their happiness, but it did make her a little sad- especially when she reflected on the sorry state of her own love life. 

She glanced over at Gazelle, who was looking from them to Roxy and back again as if there was something important she wanted to say.

Roxy waited, trying not to hope too hard. 

Gazelle hesitated and finally said, “Look, I’ve got somewhere to be in a few more minutes.”

Roxy deflated.  “Right.  Yes.”

“And I want to ask you something before I do.  If I’m out of line, or whatever, just tell me, but I'm not in your class anymore and if you don’t mind about those two…”  Gazelle squared her shoulders.  “Would you like to get a drink sometime?  With me?”

“Uh.”  It took Roxy a second.  “Yes.  I’d like that.  Yes.”

She was blushing, fiercely, but the way Gazelle’s lips curled upward into a little smile made it difficult to be embarrassed about that.  “Cool,” Gazelle said.

Roxy smiled back.   

**Author's Note:**

> Come see me on [tumblr](http://potentiality-26.tumblr.com/).


End file.
